NOAA’s summary of winter 2024-25 for the contiguous 48 states, released on March 10, closed the books with a verdict you might have guessed: despite some prolonged chilliness at certain times and places, and one winter storm for the ages, it was far less fierce than most of the winters dished out through the late 20th century.
The average 48-state temperature for meteorological winter (December through February) came in at 34.09 degrees Fahrenheit (1.16 degrees Celsius). That’s the 27th highest reading among the 130 winters in the NOAA database extending back to 1895. Just one year ago, the nation wrapped up its warmest winter in contiguous U.S. history.
The standout event of the winter was the bizarre, historic snowstorm that swept along the upper U.S. Gulf Coast on January 21. For most locations, it was a once-in-a-generation to a once-in-a-century snowfall, rivaled only by a similarly freakish storm on Valentine’s Day 1895 that dropped 10 to 20 inches from roughly Houston to New Orleans. Among the locations that broke all-time records for a single storm this time were Mobile, AL (7.5”), Pensacola, FL (8.9”), and the New Orleans airport (8.0”). Several locations in Florida smashed the state’s previous snow record o…
